Archery Season opened October 25 in Zone D (our panhandle zone). So what better time than now to go over a few things pertaining to hunting.
First, in 2023, FWC documented a deer in our zone with CWD, Chronic Wasting Disease. Now, Georgia documented their first case on the Florida Border near where our case was located. CWD is a fatal contagious disease of the brain and nervous system of the deer. This disease is a slow progressing disease and deer shed the prion even before they show clinical symptoms. Symptoms of this disease are extreme weight loss and abnormal behaviors. Report any deer with these symptoms to FWC by calling 866 CWD WATCH – 866-293-9282. Also, read and follow the FWC CWD regulations.
Next is Hunter’s Safety. Anyone born on or after June 1, 1975 and 16 years or older, must complete the Hunter’s Safety course unless they hunt under the supervision of a qualified hunter. These courses are taught regularly here in Northwest Florida. The typical route to fulfill this requirement is to take an online course such as through the NRA. Then sign up for the field day. You attend the field day which includes some lecture and hands-on experience with firearms. Once you pass both online and the field day, you get your hunter’s safety certificate. Plan ahead. The field days during hunting season fill up fast!
Last thing! Read the new 2025-26 Hunting Regulations! These can be found online or at your favorite hunting and fishing supply stores. Know these state regulations. These change from year to year. Keep up with these changes. Ignorance won’t get you out of a citation. Also, if you hunt on a piece of public land – read and follow the WMA brochure for that piece of land. Examples of this would be Eglin, Yellow River, and Blackwater. Rules on public land are different from private land. For instance, you must wear 500 sq inches of hunters orange when hunting during general gun season on public lands but not on private lands. So take the time to know the rules and regulations for where you will be hunting.
Good luck to all the hunters out there. Be safe and legal!
Before you know it spring turkey season will be upon us and now is the time to start planning a killer turkey food plot. Establishing a great food plot takes more than just planting seeds. It takes planning and preparation prior to planting those seeds. The prime turkey food plot is chufas. Chufas are yellow nutsedges that turkeys absolutely love.
The first step is finding a good spot. A 20ft x 20ft spot with no trees and ample sunlight will work well. You can select a larger spot but that increases the cost of planting. Chufas prefer full sunlight so make sure the area gets 6-8 hours of sunlight per day.
Next step is to take a soil sample from the area. Here’s a video demonstrating how to properly take a soil sample. When you get your soil sample results back, you will want to adjust the pH as necessary. Perform this task well ahead of planting to give the lime time to raise the pH. Chufas grow best with the soil pH between 6.0-7.0.
Now other animals love chufas too, like hogs and rabbits. I wouldn’t plant chufas if you know you have a large population of rabbits or you have a feral hog problem. Reduce those populations before planting chufas.
Other options include plants such as brown top millet and buckwheat. Turkeys love tender young shoots. You can plant these in March ahead of spring turkey season. These plots also will attract insects which the turkeys feed on.
Now we get to the fun part – planting. Chufas can be planted anytime between April and July. They germinate quickly once soil temperatures are above 65º F.. You can plow the area or use a herbicide like glyphosate to kill existing vegetation. For chufas, you can use a pre-emergent herbicide like trifluralin or pendimethalin to help suppress weeds during the growing season.
Plant
Broadcast Seeding Rate
Chufas
40-50lb/acre
Brown top millet
20-25lb/acre
Buckwheat
50- 55lb/acre
I find that packing the soil after broadcasting the seed, either by driving over it or by using a cultipacker, helps with germination as the seeds flourish with a firm seed bed.
Next, fertilize according to your soil test results and enjoy a great spring turkey season.
Hunting season is underway here in Northwest Florida. With it comes hunters putting in food plots. It’s been dry here but it looks like we are getting some relief. So, now is a good time to talk a little about common mistakes wildlife enthusiasts make when planting food plots.
Mistake #1 – Not soil testing
Our soils, especially in the forested areas, are typically acidic. The optimal pH for most cool season food plot plants is 6-6.5. I see a lot of samples come back at around 5. This is much too acidic for these plants to thrive. Soil sampling doesn’t take much time and it is really affordable. The test costs just $10 per sample. That’s cheap insurance.
Mistake #2 – Planting with too little soil moisture or during a drought period.
Even though the optimal planting date is October, if we don’t have adequate soil moisture, you may be wasting time and money. I’ve seen it many times. You plant when there’s just enough soil moisture for the seeds to germinate and then it doesn’t rain and the plants dry up and die. These plants need adequate soil moisture to germinate and grow enough roots to sustain during dry periods.
Bobcat Walking Through a Food Plot
Mistake #3 – Using plant varieties that are not adapted to here.
Cool season food plots are a great attractant for deer. But many struggle with being successful here in Northwest Florida. Hopefully, now, you can avoid these 3 common mistakes and have a successful food plot this year.
Have you been stuck in the routine of winter burns? Do you miss getting burns in because you run out of burn days? Are you interested in starting or improving prescribed burn efforts on your property? If so, join us for a day of learning, networking, and discussions.
Topics include: Expanding your burn windows, effects of burning during different times of the year, smoke management, working with other landowners to conduct prescribed burns, and cost-share opportunities.
When: March 8, 2024 / 9am to 3pm (lunch is provided) Location: UF IFAS Okaloosa County Extension Office 3098 Airport Rd, Crestview, FL 32539 REGISTER BY MARCH 1, 2024
We live in a world where we have instant access to tons of useful information. If we want to learn something, we just ask our favorite search engine or social media platform. However, some of the information floating around can be incorrect and sometimes dangerous. When it comes to preserving my wild game meat, I look to the National Center for Home Food Preservation. I do this because I want to preserve my wild game meat and keep my friends and family safe from food borne pathogens. This resource has science-based recommendations for freezing, drying, canning, curing, and smoking meats.
This week, I am canning some venison. Let’s walk through the steps for canning venison chunks which is my favorite. The first step is choosing the right canner. Meats must be canned using a pressure canner. Boiling water canners are not safe for meats. The Center has a great article on using a pressure canner if you have never used one before.
I debone my venison and cut it into approximately 1-inch chunks. I like to use the raw pack method but you can use the hot pack method. I do not soak my venison but you can if the gaminess bothers you.
Raw Pack Method – Add up to 2 teaspoons of salt if desired. Pack raw chunks of meat into the jars leaving 1-inch headspace. Do not add any liquid.
Hot Pack Method – Pre-cook meats to rare by browning, stewing, or roasting in a small amount of fat. Add up to 1 teaspoon of salt if desired. Pack meat into the jars. Fill jars with boiling broth, tomato juice, meat droppings, or water. Leave 1-inch headspace.
Place these in the pressure canner and follow the instructions for your canner. Processing time will depend on your altitude and jar size. Follow processing times in the tables found in this article.
The Center has the same resources for other ways to preserve your wild game. This is a research-based resource so you can be confident that your meats will be preserved safely for you and your family to enjoy.
The Okaloosa County Extension Office will be hosting a Wild Game Food Processing Class on February 1, 2024 at 5:30pm. For more information on this class, contact bearden@ufl.edu. Register via Eventbrite.
